The seriousness of the Mavericks’ intentions to build a new arena and casino in the Dallas area has been laid bare with the team’s hire of legendary basketball executive Rick Welts as CEO.
The Mavericks, now led by governor Patrick Dumont following a deal roughly a year ago with Mark Cuban to buy a controlling interest in the team, brought Welts out of more than three years of retirement to lead both team operations and the efforts to develop a new arena and casino complex. Welts will succeed the outgoing Cynt Marshall.
Named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, Welts built a 46-year career in basketball that ended as president and COO of the Warriors, where he won three NBA championships and oversaw the development of the $1.4 billion, industry-leading Chase Center in San Francisco.